


The End Of The Story

by Captain_Rachel



Category: Supernatural, Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Established Relationship, Gen, M/M, Typical Night Vale Weirdness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-15
Updated: 2013-08-15
Packaged: 2017-12-23 13:47:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/927215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Rachel/pseuds/Captain_Rachel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel decides that the only fitting place for things to end is in Night Vale where, for Dean Winchester at least, they can maybe begin again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The End Of The Story

“Are we there yet?” Dean Winchester asks as he raises one hand to his mouth in a vain attempt to hold back a yawn. The hunter is sitting behind the wheel of the Impala, which he is driving down dusty desert highway, where there is nothing but the occasional cactus and wind-sculpted rock formation to break the monotony of the sand dunes and cracked earth.

 

“No.” Castiel replies from his position in the Impala’s passenger seat. The trench coat wearing angel has his gaze fixed upon the road ahead while he sits perfectly upright with his hands resting on his legs. The Impala’s radio has been spitting out static at a low volume for some time, but Castiel obviously doesn’t care and Dean doesn’t care enough to find a new station or put in one of his tapes.

 

Dean isn’t sure exactly how long he’s been driving… it almost seems like there has been nothing for days but the miles and miles of empty desert highway, the soft hiss of static, the occasional soft spoken direction from Castiel and Dean’s repeated requests to know if they’re finally at their destination and to know how much further it’s going to be. Castiel always has the same answer to those two questions— _no_ and _not much farther._

 

Eventually the highway—which, according to the signs that are placed every few miles, is Route 800—heads through a large natural canyon that cuts into a long red rock mesa. The sun—which has been sinking in the west for some time, reaches just the right point so that it causes the sky to turn even darker then the  walls of the canyon while giving what few clouds are in the sky a golden tint.

 

“I’m getting tired Cas.” Another yawn slips past Dean’s lips as he flips on the Impala’s headlights.

 

“It’s not much further.” Castiel replies as Route 800 and the Impala pass through a small tunnel which allows the southbound lane passage through the narrowest spot in the canyon. As they emerge on the other side of the tunnel the static on the radio begins to fade and is soon replaced with the smooth voice of a radio station’s announcer.

 

“… _cret Police announced earlier today that they will continue the proud tradition of not **officially** endorsing any of the candidates for Night Vale mayor, while secretly endorsing one candidate and punishing any and all citizens who **dare** to oppose the chosen one.” _

 

Dean blinks and glances down at the Impala’s radio for a second, but before the hunter can say anything Castiel reaches over and delicately rests his left hand on the human’s shoulder, right over the mark that the angel had created when he had freed Dean from hell. A shiver races down Dean’s spine—not as intense as the shiver which Castiel’s bare hand on the mark itself causes—but a shiver none the less.

 

“ _As always a patriotic display will be erected on the yard outside of City Hall for the duration of the mayoral race and election, with a hidden symbol to inform those in the know which candidate to vote for._ ”

 

The announcer has a voice which seems to curl out of the Impala’s old speakers and slowly wrap it’s way around the interior of the car before finally reaching Dean’s ears. Despite the strange contents of the broadcast the hunter finds himself relaxing—something which the light but still noticeable weight of the Castiel’s hand on his shoulder certainly helps with.

 

“ _This year the patriotic display is sponsored by **THE GREY STONE SPIRE** and was designed by a member of the vague yet menacing government agency, who declined to sign his or her name on the blue print.”_

 

As the highway emerges from the canyon a town appears on the horizon and Castiel gently squeezes the human’s shoulder while his gaze (and Dean’s) remains focused on the road ahead. Shortly after they emerge from the mouth of the canyo the Impala’s headlights illuminate a green metal sign with blocky white letters.

 

_Welcome To Night Vale_

_—A Small Desert Community—_

_Population: 5,042 & 3/7  _

 

Alongside this sign are several similar but smaller signs which inform Dean that Night Vale possesses an airport, a community college and a hospital, as well as gas, food and lodging spread out along six exits, one of which serves as a connection for the “Eastern Expressway”.

 

“You need to take the first exit.” Castiel informs Dean as he slowly removes his hand from the human’s shoulder.

_“The City Council has asked me to read two notices which have been re-issued due to recent accidental, purposeful and **predetermined** violations of City Council regulations.”_

 

The first exit takes the Impala off Route 800 and on to Cactus Bloom road, which heads away from the highway and towards the town of Night Vale. Immediately next to Route 800 sits a small diner, not unlike the ones that Dean has visited countless times for breakfast, dinner and after-hunt snacks. The one is called “the Moonlite All-Nite Diner” and—according to it’s blinking neon signs—is not only open 24/7 but is home to “Night Vale’s Best Invisible Pie”

 

_“The first notice concerns the dog park, at the corner of Earl and Summerset, near the Ralph’s. The City Council would like to remind everyone that dogs are **not** allowed in the dog park. People are **not** allowed in the dog park.”_

 

There is a traffic light next to the diner, although there is no intersection and Dean finds himself looking at the Diner as he waits for the light to turn green. There are a few people sitting at the booths and the counter of the tiny diner and at least one person is sitting on a bench outside, smoking a pipe that looks like it was stolen from Sherlock Holmes.

“ _It is possible that you will see hooded figures in the dog park._ _Do **not** approach them or any **other**_ _figures you see in the dog park.”_

 

When the light finally turns green Dean proceeds slowly down Cactus Bloom road, not entirely sure when Cas will give him another direction. The Moonlite All-Nite Diner and the road seem to be on the outskirts of Night Vale—there are a lot of empty lots-in between buildings and the street lights seem ever so slightly too far apart.

 

There are very few signs of life and only one person out walking—a young man with a square jaw and long dark hair. The man—whose hair has been pulled back into a rather messy braid with a few pencils and pens stuck into it at various points—is somewhat oddly dressed. He wears blue jeans, a dark red formal shirt, a perfectly fastened black tie and a pristine white lab coat. In one hand he carries a cardboard holder with four coffee cups in one hand and a bag of to-go boxes which has the Moonlite All-Night Diner’s logo on it in blood red and a purple which is almost-black.

 

_“Do **not** approach the dog park. The fence **is** electrified and highly dangerous.”_

 

As the Impala slowly approaches the younger man he turns off to his right and steps off the sidewalk, into an empty lot which occupies the corner of two streets and which separates Cactus Bloom road from what must be Night Vale’s local radio station—a small building which would be nondescript except for the fact that it is attached to tall broadcast tower atop of which there is a single red light which slowly blinks on and off against the night sky, which is entirely devoid of stars.

 

“Left on Mesa road, then left again on Malak drive.” Castiel informs Dean, somehow managing to speak in-between the radio announcer’s sentences.

 

_“Do **not** look at the dog park, and especially do **not** look for any period of time at the hooded figures. Remember—the dog park **will not** hurt you.”_

 

Dean almost misses the turn on to Mesa road because someone decided to put a giant sign for the “ _Night Vale Trailer Park_ ” in front of the street sign. The only reason that Dean _does_ notice the sign for Mesa road is because he has slowed the Impala down so that he can inspect a smaller sign that has been propped up against the one for the trailer park. The smaller sign, which looks like it has been hit by a car and then propped back up, reads “—ger’s Car Lot  & Auto Repair” and has a hand painted arrow that points down Mesa road.

_“Before I read the second notice from the Night Vale City Council please enjoy this message from one of our sponsors.”_

 

The Night Vale Trailer Park isn’t very large—or at least it’s not as large as some of te trailer parks that John Winchester had chosen as temporary bases of operation when Dean and Sam were younger. There are perhaps twenty-five trailers of varying sizes, models and age. Across Mesa road from the entrance to the car lot Dean spots a street sign for Malak drive, along with another sign pointing the way to “The Car Lot”

“ _Are you **alone** now? Is there no one there but you and that **very** special person?”_

 

While both Mesa and Cactus Bloom road had streetlights that were slightly too far apart, Malak drive doesn’t have any streetlights and—apart from a few houses that sit right next t othe trailer park—there are no homes or buildings either. The Impala is surrounded by desert, with only the occasional shrub or cactus rising above the dry earth and sand. After a short distance the road curves north and a single street light appears on the horizon.

 

_“Is he smiling at you, with his horrible **sharp** white teeth? Is he trying to make you hold his horrible **claw** - **like** hand?”_

 

The street light sits directly in between two nearly identical two-story sitting precisely where Malak drive decides to suddenly curve sharply to the north where, next to another flickering street light, there sits a house attached to a fenced in area with a large gate that Dean assumes is “—ger’s Car Lot & Auto Repair”.  The house on the left of the street light—the one which is closer to the car lot, looks like it has been empty for some time and is completely dark. On the other hand the house on the right of the street light has not only a bright porch light but several interior lights turned on. Sitting in the driveway is a beat up old Volkswagon beetle which might have once been a dark red but which had long ago faded to a more rust like red-tan. There are several potted plants on and around the house’s porch and the mailbox has—for some reason—been painted with _purple octopuses._

_“Watch his eyes light up and listen to him start to stammer out acceptance… then laugh as he babbles in terror as he realizes that is **not** a ring you are holding.”_

 

“We’re here.” Castiel informs Dean who—without being told to by the angel or really knowing why—finds himself parking the Impala in the driveway of the darkened house on the right of the streetlight. After a second’s hesitation the hunter slowly opens the driver’s side door and steps out of the car. Despie the fact that the car’s radio _should_ have turned off when Dean stopped the car and took out the keys he can still hear the broadcast.

_“Introducing the new Nike Hyperdunk 2013—built for **every** attack. Nike— **just do it**. **”**_

 

Dean takes a deep breath as he gazes at the two homes before turning around to look at the surrounding desert. In the distance to the south-west the horizon is dimly illuminated by the lights of Night Vale—including the slowly blinking red light of the radio station’s broadcast tower. Above the lights of the town—and above Dean and Castiel—there is nothing but a dark void, without a moon, clouds or even stars. Dean finds himself quickly averting his gaze from the sky and turning towards Castiel. He intends to ask the Angel where the hell they are and why the hell they are there… but instead Dean finds himself grabbing on to the hood of the Impala in order to stop himself from falling over in shock.

 

_“The second notice from the Night Vale City Council is a reminder concerning the Tiered Heavens, and the Hierarchy of **Angels**.”_

On several occasions Dean has seen Castiel’s wings… or at least he has seen a sort of “shadow” of Castiel’s wings, a dark impression on the world that both he and Bobby had seen when they’d summoned the angel after Dean has crawled out of his own grave, back when the hunters hadn’t know who or what Castiel was.

 

Dean had always somehow known that those dark shapes weren’t really Castiel’s wings—just some sort of impression or shadow or perhaps echo that Castiel’s grace left upon reality, like the ash wings that appeared on the ground when angels died. But now—as Dean Winchester stnds on the cracked concrete of the driveway and grips the hood of the Impala, he can actually _see_ the Angel of Thrusday’s wings.

 

_“The reminder is that you should **not** know anything about this.”_

Castiel’s wings are huge—at least twice as large as the “shadows” that Dean has seen before. They are also dark, almost like the wings of a raven. They have the same black color and shine, only the shine is somehow _black_. Both the wings as a whole and the individual feathers of each wing seem to possess both a natural curve and an unnaturally sharp and angled structure—at the same time. The dark wings emerge from a point on Castiel’s back just below his shoulders and tower over his vessel while also spreading far beyond his arms’ reach.

 

Dean finds himself staring in shock at the angel as Castiel slowly closes his vessel’s eyes, which leads of a multitude of eyes along the ridges of his wings blinking open. These eyes, which resemble a child’s drawing of eyes more then they resemble real eyes—are a pale blue and seem to glow like a neon sign. In addition to the glow the eyes are constantly in motion, blinking and shifting their gaze and—occasionally—moving around on Castiel’s wings.

 

 _“The structure of heaven and the angelic organizational chart are **privileged** information known **only** to the city council members and certain citizens on a need-to-know basis._ ”

 

As Dean watches the eyes slowly shift along the angel’s wings a final eye appears in the center of the Angel of Thursday’s forehead as his vessel’s eyes open once again. This final eye—which is slightly darker blue then the others—stares straight ahead without blinking as the eerie blue light which shines from Castiel’s multitude of eyes seem to leak out and create a strange sort of outline in the air around the angel’s head. After a second Dean realizes that this “outline” has to be Castiel’s halo, although it looks more like a child’s drawing of the sun, complete with thick blocky “rays” branching out from the main circle.

 

“ _Please, do **not** speak to or acknowledge any strange angels that you may come across. They only tell lies and do **not** exist.”_

 

“Cas?” Dean asks, one hand hesitantly reaching out towards the Angel who had raised him from perdition. In the blink of an eye Castiel is on the same side of the Impala as Dean with one hand gently cupping the human’s face and his other hand resting on top of Dean’s shoulder, over the imprint he had created. “What the hell is going on?”

 

 ** _Don’t be afraid._** Dean recognizes Castiel’s voice, despite the fact that the words are not spoken. Instead Castiel’s words just seem to _be_ , without any sort of given explanation. **_This is one of many forms that I can take—in one form I am as tall as the Chrysler Building, in another I can walk upon the head of a pin as if it is the Sahara desert. This is the form I take upon Earth you simply have not been able to glimpse it in full before now._**

“So why aren’t my eyes burning out like Pamela?

 

 ** _We are in Night Vale. Things here are…_** Castiel’s “voice” hesitates for a second and _all_ of his eyes—both the neon blue ones and his vessels’ normal eyes—blink in unison **_...different._**

“Different? You mean like that radio announcer—”

 

 ** _Cecil._** Castiel interrupts Dean. **_His name is Cecil Baldwin._**

“—talking about angels and something weird in a dog park?”

“You’re late!” A female voice calls out, preventing Dean from asking any more questions and Castiel from explaining anything. Both human and angel turn towards the source of the voice—which is coming from the porch of the house to the left of the streetlight.

 

_“Report **all** sightings of any unknown angels or strange angelic behavior to the city council for treatment.”_

 

Standing on the porch of the house to the left of the streetlight there is an extremely small older woman with short spiky hair that has gone entirely white. She has a cane in one hand and what looks like a Tupperware container in the other. The woman is wearing a dark purple multi-layered peasant skirt, with a long sleeved black shirt that has intricate curving embroidery in purple around the loose neck and down the sides. She is wearing a multitude of necklaces and bracelets, most of them with purple or black beads and jewels.

 

“I thought you’d get here an hour ago.” The woman remarks as she slowly makes her way down the porch steps and over to the angel and the human. “Don’t worry—I saved you two some dinner.”

 

While Dean stares, not knowing what to make of the petite woman, Castiel calmly steps forward and bows towards the woman, who smiles fondly at the angel before handing him the Tupperware container. Although Dean doesn’t hear Castiel “speak” to the woman, he somehow gets the distinct impression that the Angel of Thursday has somehow thanked the lady who—once she has handed off the Tupperware—turns her attention towards Dean.

 

_“Report **all** sightings of angels—both known and unknown—to the Sheriff’s Secret Police to ensure compliance with Night Vale’s new angelic ordinance laws.”_

 

“I’m Josie Nuelle—but everyone calls me ‘Old Woman Josie’.” The woman informs Dean as she shakes the hunter’s hand, revealing a surprisingly strong handshake for such a frail looking woman.

 

“Dean Winchester.”

 

 “It’s always so nice to meet a new neighbor! Especially after the Carter place has been empty for so long…” Josie has a huge smile on her face as she releases Dean’s hand and looks over at Castiel. “And who is your little friend over there?”

 

“That’s Castiel.”

 

_“To report an angel sighting simply tap three times on a glass cup and wait for a brugmansia flower to appear inside.”_

 

“The Angel of Thursday, right? Of course. Now this is Erika—there’s a few others that come around, but Erika’s the only one here right now.” Josie says as she gestures to her left—where a younger woman that Dean hadn’t noticed before stands silent and still. A woman with the same extra eyes, halo and wings as Castiel, so Dean assumes that “Erika” is also an angel.

 

Erika—or at least Erika’s vessel—looks to be around thirty years old, is almost unnaturally tall and has skin the color of dark chocolate. Her jet black hair has been partially braided and styled so that the loose hair resembles a mohawk. She has spiky earrings, a chainmail collar and leather bracelets. Like Castiel she has jet black wings, but Erika’s halo and extra eyes glow an electric yellow instead of neon blue like Castiel’s.

 

_“Thank you for listening to these announcements from the Night Vale City Council and now—[ **the weather.**](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyVJsg0XIIk)”  
_

 

The dark skinned angel is wearing motorcycle boots, torn and ripped jeans and a white wife-beater with a long sleeved black fish net shirt on top… and she’s holding what a homemade pie that Dean thinks looks like it could be an apple pie. Erika has a warm smile on her face as she silently offers the pie to the hunter, who finds himself returning the smile as he accepts the still-warm pie. After Dean takes the pie from Erika she turns towards Castiel and the two simply stare at each other for a moment while both Josie and Dean silently watch the angels. After a second Erika bows ever so slightly to Castiel and moves back to Josie’s side.

 

“You let me know if you need anything, okay?” Josie flashes one last smile at both Dean and Castiel before she heads back towards her house—Erika walking at her side, her left hand on Josie’s shoulder and an adoring smile upon her face.

**_Her name is not really Erika._** Castiel informs Dean as he reaches out and takes the hunter’s hand. After gently squeezing Dean’s hand the angel gently leads him towards the dark house on the right of the streetlight. **“ _Erika” is Old Woman Josie’s attempt to pronounce an Enochian word for “Angel”._**

“Her attempt?” Dean asks as Castiel somehow opens the door to the house—without using his hand to do so—and ushers Dean inside. The house looks like someone is halfway through moving in or moving out—there are boxes everywhere. Some are still packed, some are partially unpacked and some hold nothing more than scraps of bubble wrap and packing paper.

**_Roughly half of the word can only be pronounced by a human if they are vessel and several parts of the word simply cannot be heard by human ears._** Castiel explains as he places the Tupperware that Old Woman Josie had given him on the dining room table and gestures for Dean to do the same with the apple pie.

 

It’s at that moment that Dean sees the photographs out of the corner of his eye. At first they only catch the Hunter’s eye because someone has carefully hung them on the walls, as opposed to the other framed photographs and documents, which are simply leaning on the wall. For some reason Dean turns to inspect the photographs as Castiel rummages in the drawers of the kitchen… and the hunter instantly recognizes a photograph of himself and Sam that Bobby had taken when they were young. Next to that photograph there is an old black and white photo of his mother and father and a drawing that he’d gotten from some kid he and Sam had saved. There’s even a photo of him at Bobby’s place showing some part of the Impala’s engine to Castiel.

 

“Cas—what the hell is going on?” Dean asks, turning towards the angel, who has emerged from the kitchen with a knife and fork in his hand. “Why… why are we here? Where’s Sam?”

 

 ** _Dean…_** The angel seems to whisper as he drops the utensils on the table and steps forward, once again placing his left hand on Dean’s shoulder. **_You know why we’re here. You just have to admit it to yourself._**

A memory flashes through Dean’s mind—it’s not unlike many other memories he has, full of blood and monsters, but it’s got a very different ending then any of Dean’s other memories.

 

“I’m…” Dean struggles for a second to finish his sentence. Slowly he reaches up and touches the left side of his chest, remembering pain, blood and distant screams. “I’m dead aren’t I?”

 

 ** _Yes._** Castiel replies, his arms wrapping around Dean and pulling him into a tight embrace. After hesitating for a second the Hunter returns the favor, his hands digging into the fabric of Cas’ trenchcoat.

“Did I at least say something cool?” Dean asks, forcing a smirk on to his face.

 

**_You called Sam a bitch._ **

 

“…did he call me an jerk?”

 

 ** _Yes he did._** Cas replies, which brings a real smile to the Hunter’s face.

 

“So where is he?”

 

**_On his way. His journey is… more complicated then your’s._ **

 

“But he’s coming right?”

 

 ** _Of course._** Castiel replies, a fond smile on his face as—in the background—the music on the radio ends and Cecil starts speaking again.

 

“ _We have some news from Old Woman Josie—the one who lives out by Bobby Singer’s Car Lot and speaks to Angels? Well Old Woman Josie says that someone has moved into the old Carter place. This man introduced himself as Dean Winchester.”_

“Look at that, I’m a celebrity.” Dean laughs softly, feeling strangely content as Castiel wraps his wings around him, all but cutting off the outside world and leaving the two alone together, with nothing but the soft voice on the radio in the background.

_“Old Woman Josie says that her new neighbor is a plain—but attractive—man and was clad in plaid and denim. He drives a beautiful black 1967 Chevrolet Impala.”_

 

Castiel leans forward and, without closing any of his eyes, he presses his forehead against the human’s. Dean swears that the moment his forehead touches the spot where Castiel’s third eye is an electric shock runs through his body—it almost feels like he’s licked a battery. Dean slowly closes his eyes as he leans forward and gently brushes his lips against the Angel’s before deepening the kiss.

_“Apparently this Dean has an Angelic companion, who wears a tan trench coat and calls himself ‘Castiel’. The black angel—the one who changed the bulb in Old Woman Josie’s porch light—says that this Castiel is the Angel of Thursday…_ ”  


_Author’s Notes_

* * *

This entire fic was inspired by [this amazing fanart](http://captain-rachel.tumblr.com/post/58259893587/euclase-cosmictuesdays-everkings) which got me thinking about Dean and Castiel going to Night Vale and ended up being the reference for what angels look like in Night Vale.

Night Vale layout is roughly based on [this fan map](http://cryingmanlytears.tumblr.com/post/56076745790/okay-so-i-could-not-find-any-sort-of-map-or), with some shifting of landmarks (like putting the Dinner closer to Route 880 then the Radio Station) and the unmentioned idea that Dean and Cas did not drive through Desert Bluffs, either because of the route they took or because Desert Bluffs is more north/northeast then it appears on the map.

The population mentioned on the _Welcome To Night Vale_ sign is thanks to estimates provided by [nightvale-citizen](http://nightvale-citizen.tumblr.com/) and [ellipsisobsessed](http://ellipsisobsessed.tumblr.com/). I made it 5,0 **42** specifically as a nod to _The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy_.

Malak (Can also be spelled Mal'ak) is the Semitic word for Angel. 

The Nike ad on the radio was [Taciturn-Parasol](http://taciturn-parasol.tumblr.com/)’s idea and inspired by the real “tagline” for the shoe mentioned.

Old Woman Josie’s last name—Nuelle—is a Hebrew name meaning “peaceful soul”. Her appearance is influenced by some cool looking old women I saw walking around town recently. Here are some links to what she’s wearing: [Shirt](http://slimages.macys.com/is/image/MCY/products/0/optimized/701180_fpx.tif?bgc=255,255,255&wid=327&qlt=90,0&layer=comp&op_sharpen=0&resMode=bicub&op_usm=0.7,1.0,0.5,0&fmt=jpeg), [Skirt](http://img0.etsystatic.com/015/0/6738328/il_fullxfull.455600364_hla2.jpg), [Jewerly 1](http://img0.etsystatic.com/015/0/6738328/il_fullxfull.455600364_hla2.jpg), [Jewerly 2](http://www.lucidnewyork.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/149.png), [Jewerly 3](http://www.fashionjewelryforeveryone.com/TrendyBraceletsBigBigPhotos/tb965.jpg), Jewerly 4, Jewerly 5, Jewerly 6 & [Jewerly 7](http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/m6ZJ4CM25gnAjS9C3cwllug.jpg).

The Angel Erika’s Haircut is based off of [this lovely lady](http://bodistyles.com/curly-mohawk-hairstyles-for-women/curly-mohawk-hairstyles-for-women-2/). 

A _Brugmansia_ is a flowering tree/shrub whose flowers are called “Angels Trumpets”. Here is[ a picture of one](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-ExGI04FmX4/TFw26rZtotI/AAAAAAAABII/-c9FO5Lx1S0/s400/brugmansia_oz_1.jpg).

The Weather is [“Eyes Wide Open” by Goyte](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyVJsg0XIIk).


End file.
